About the Program

The Study of Religion is an intellectually exciting program focused on a subject matter that many scholars in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences consider to be an intrinsic dimension of humanity—religion. Religion originates in literature, social organization, imagination, emotions, culture, sexuality, even the physical body itself. The study of religion is the ideal program for any student who, fascinated by core questions concerning human culture and history, wants the intellectual freedom to pursue answers from a wide variety of perspectives.

At UCSD, the Study of Religion is an exclusively undergraduate program, offering both a major and a minor. Because there is no graduate component, we take pride in the fact that we are able to give close attention to our undergraduate students. Religion students take small upper-division classes, work closely with professors of national and international scholarly reputation, and develop skills that enable them to describe, compare, interpret, and explain—critical skills that they will use long after leaving the university.

To study religion, you do not have to be personally religious. Nor do you have to be irreligious. What is required is that you are willing to approach and consider your own personal certainties with fresh eyes and an open mind.

Please browse the website to learn more about majoring and minoring in religion, about courses, about the faculty, and about special events. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

BABAK RAHIMI Associate Professor, Department of LiteratureDirector, Program for the Study of Religion